A Taliban fighter is walking at the entrance to the Eidga Mosque after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, October 3, 2021. “Many civilians were killed” when a bomb exploded at the entrance to a mosque in the capital of Afghanistan on Sunday. A Taliban spokesman said. (AP Photo / Felipedana)
Kabul, Afghanistan (AP) —A bomb exploded outside a mosque in Kabul on Sunday, killing at least five civilians, Taliban officials said. This has been the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since the US military left at the end of August.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicions were raised against Islamic state militants who intensified their attacks on the Taliban in recent weeks, especially at IS sites in eastern Afghanistan.
A roadside bomb apparently exploded at the vast Eid Gah Mosque Gate in Kabul during a memorial service for the mother of Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Interior Ministry spokesman Qari Saeed Khosti said five people had died.
The blast hijacked Kabul on August 15, highlighting the growing challenges facing the Taliban just weeks after it dominated Afghanistan in a blitzkrieg.
During their 20-year rebellion, the Taliban themselves frequently carried out bombing and shooting attacks, but now face attempts to contain rival militants using the same methods. Increasing security challenges are coming at a time of economic collapse as the Taliban struggle to run the country without providing large-scale foreign aid to US-backed governments.
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said three suspects had been arrested in a Sunday explosion in Kabul. He said the Taliban fighters were unharmed.
Mohammad Isler, who lives in Kabul, said he heard a “loud noise” and saw people flee.
The Italian-funded Kabul emergency hospital tweeted that it had accepted four people injured in the blast.
The area around the mosque was blocked by the Taliban, and the Taliban maintained a strict security system. The site was cleaned late in the afternoon. The only sign of the blast was slight damage to the decorative arch near the entrance gate.
IS militants have stepped up their attacks on the Taliban since the takeover in mid-August, demonstrating widespread conflict between them.
IS maintains a strong presence in the eastern province of Nangarhar, claiming responsibility for several killings in the capital city of Jalalabad.
In late August, an IS suicide bomber targeted US evacuation activities at Kabul International Airport. The blast killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. military personnel and was one of the most deadly attacks in the country in a few years.
Attacks in Kabul have been rare, but in recent weeks IS has shown signs of expanding its footsteps across the east towards the capital.
On Friday, Taliban fighters attacked an IS hideout just north of Kabul, Parwan. The attack occurred after an IS roadside bomb injured four Taliban fighters in the area.
The Taliban says a bomb kills five civilians at a mosque in Kabul
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